Strawberry Pie

Strawberries are one of the fruits that give the most play in the kitchen. Sweet and juicy, they are undoubtedly a great accompaniment to pies. So before the season ends, Carmen (Yerbabuena en la Cocina) brings us an easy and delicious strawberry tart: a strawberry pie, with its shortcrust pastry and the strawberry filling that pairs so well. Enjoy!

I've always been very sweet-toothed. I remember when I was a child and I saw these pies filled with strawberries or any other fruit in some American western movies or series; my eyes would go to them and my childish mind imagined they must be the most delicious thing in the world, so much that I could almost smell their aroma perfuming every corner of the house.

Many years later… I confess that every time I make this type of tart, when I take them out of the oven, I am transported back in my mind to those moments and I almost feel like the heroines of those films I loved so much.

To give that traditional touch to tarts there's nothing better than the beautiful ceramic designs of the Emile Henry molds. I like them so much that whenever I can I make them the stars of my table: they are ideal for this kind of preparation where you don't need to unmold and they always surprise with their beauty.

Do you dare to feel the same as I do? Let's get the recipe.

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 500gr of pastry flour
• 250gr of cold butter
• 120gr of beaten egg
• 5gr of salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 60ml of ice water

For the filling:

• 1kg of strawberries
• 100gr of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Nomu vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• 100ml of water
• The juice of half a lemon

To decorate:

• 1 beaten egg
• Brown sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

1. We begin by preparing the filling. For this we put the strawberries in a saucepan with the sugar and the vanilla and bring to a boil until they start to release liquid and soften.
2. In a bowl, we put the water with the lemon juice and dissolve the cornstarch in it.
3. We pour the bowl's contents over the strawberries and stir to prevent lumps from forming, cook a couple of minutes until it thickens and let cool.
4. To prepare the shortcrust pastry, put all the ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix the ingredients until they look like small peas.
5. Turn out onto the work surface and bring the dough together with small taps forming a ball, wrap in cling film and store in the fridge for half an hour.
6. Take out and divide the dough in two. Roll each part with a rolling pin forming two discs about 3mm thick, using a little flour and baking paper to prevent the doughs from sticking. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.
7. Place the base of the pastry in the mold and refrigerate again while we prepare the lattice, cutting strips to our liking with a pastry cutter. Chill the lattice strips for a few minutes in the fridge to make them easier to handle.
8. Preheat the oven to 180º.
9. Remove the mold with the pastry from the fridge and pour in the filling. Smooth and carefully form the lattice and decorate as you like. Brush with egg and sprinkle with brown sugar.
10. Bake for about 50 minutes at 180º.
11. Once baked, let cool slightly and serve in the mold directly at the table.

Emile Henry high ceramic mold and Joseph&Joseph wooden rolling pin.

Notes:

• To prepare the filling, especially when it comes to fruits that release a lot of liquid like strawberries, I like to cook them first so they release the excess and add the cornstarch while they cook on the stove, to avoid a raw flour taste and any lumps that might form.
• Shortcrust pastry involves no difficulty, you just have to be especially careful not to overwork it. At no time should it be kneaded, it's only a matter of bringing the ingredients together.

Emile Henry high ceramic mold and Le Creuset cast iron saucepan

I hope you feel encouraged to prepare this strawberry pie, it's delicious! See you soon.